Turkey, NATO allies to hold submarine drills

Turkey will host a submarine exercise between Sept. 8 and Sept. 22 with its NATO allies. The Dynamic Monarch-2017 exercise will be held off the coast of Marmaris in southwestern Turkey. Turkey will contribute to the exercise by NATO Submarine Command (COMSUBNATO) with a frigate, a rescue vessel, two submarines, two minesweepers, teams of paratroopers, a C-130 plane, Coast Guard boats and helicopters. Spain will dispatch a submarine while French, British and Norwegian armies will jointly operate a rescue vessel. Italy will send a rescue crew while the U.S., Canadian and Polish navies will send army diver teams. The exercise will focus on rescue scenarios for malfunctioned or attacked submarines unable to surface. The Turkish Maritime Forces Command said in a statement that the exercise is aimed to improve skills for multinational and joint rescue operations.